Keith Dowding
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Keith Dowding | |
|---|---|
 Keith Dowding | |
| Born | Keith Martin Dowding 6 May 1960 |
| Nationality | British |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Nuffield College, Oxford University |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Political science |
| Institutions | Australian National University, Canberra, Australia |
Keith Martin Dowding (born 6 May 1960)[1] is a professor of political science and political philosophy at the Australian National University (ANU).[2] He previously worked in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics in 2006.[3] His research encompasses public administration, public policy, political theory, and urban political economy, particularly through social and rational choice theories.[4] From 1996 to 2012, he served as editor of the Journal of Theoretical Politics, published by SAGE Publishing.
Early life
[edit]Dowding obtained a BA in Philosophy and Politics from Keele University in 1982 and completed a DPhil at Nuffield College, University of Oxford, in 1987.[5]
Career
[edit] | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (October 2025) |
Dowding began editing for SAGE Publishing in 1996.[6] In 2007, he joined the Australian National University as Professor of Political Science.[7] He was promoted to Distinguished Professor in 2018.[8]
Theory
[edit]Dowding has contributed to both political philosophy and empirical research within political science.[9] He has published research on "power," applying formal analysis to debates on the nature and structure of power in society. Expanding on Brian Barry's concept of "luck," Dowding argues that some groups are "systematically lucky" because they benefit from societal structures, while others are "systematically unlucky." This theory has drawn criticism from scholars such as Barry, Steven Lukes, Peter Morriss, and Andrew Hindmoor.[10]
Dowding has also researched the Tiebout model, which examines how individuals move for access to local services. His work found limited evidence of such migration in the UK, noting that people tend to move to areas for better services but rarely leave for that reason.[11] He later extended this research to examine Albert Hirschman's Exit, Voice, and Loyalty model.[12] In 2012, he co-authored Exits, Voices and Social Investment with Peter John, applying Hirschman’s model to citizen satisfaction with government services.[13]
In his 2012 article, "The Prime Ministerialisation of the British Prime Minister," Dowding challenged Michael Foley’s theory that British politics is becoming more presidential. He argued instead that the British prime minister has gained influence by strengthening existing powers rather than adopting new ones similar to the U.S. presidency.[14]
More recently, Dowding studied ministerial resignations in the UK and Australia, developing datasets on both, and is currently working on political career trajectories in Australia.[when?][citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ "Dowding, Keith M." Library of Congress. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
data sheet (Dowding, Keith Martin; b. 05-06-1960)
- ^ "Keith Dowding". The Australian National University. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ^ "In Praise of Manipulation" (PDF). 20 September 2006.
- ^ Australian National University. “Prof Keith Dowding – Biography and Qualifications.” ANU Research Portal+. Accessed 27 August 2025.
- ^ "Professor Keith Dowding". Australian National University. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
- ^ Dowding, Keith; Lane, Jan-Erik; Miller, Nicholas R. (January 1996). "Editorial". Journal of Theoretical Politics. 8: 5–6. doi:10.1177/0951692896008001001.
- ^ "Professor Keith Dowding". Australian National University.
- ^ "Professor Keith Dowding promoted to Distinguished Professor". Australian National University. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Prof. Keith Dowding - Center for Advanced Studies LMU (CAS) - LMU Munich". LMU Munich. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ Barry, Brian. 2002. "Capitalists Rule OK? Some Puzzles about Power." Politics, Philosophy and Economics 1: 155–84. Barry, Brian. 2003. "Capitalists Rule. OK? A Commentary on Keith Dowding." Politics, Philosophy and Economics 2: 323–41. Hindmoor, Andrew, and Josh McGeechan. 2013. "Luck, Systematic Luck and Business Power: Lucky All the Way Down or Trying Hard to Get What It Wants without Trying." Political Studies 61: 834–50. Lukes, Steven. 2021. "Power and Rational Choice." Journal of Political Power 14 (2): 281–87. Dowding, Keith. 2021. "Individually Lucky, Collectively Powerful: A Response to Friends." Journal of Political Power 14 (2): 340–62.
- ^ John, Peter; Dowding, Keith; Biggs, Stephen (1995). "Residential Mobility in London: A Micro-Level Test of the Behavioural Assumptions of the Tiebout Model". British Journal of Political Science. 25 (3): 379–397.
- ^ Dowding, Keith; John, Peter (1 June 2008). "The Three Exit, Three Voice and Loyalty Framework: A Test with Survey Data on Local Services". Political Studies. 56 (2): 288–311. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9248.2007.00688.x. hdl:1885/29218.
- ^ Dowding, Keith; John, Peter (2012). Exits, Voices and Social Investment: Citizens' Reaction to Public Services. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/cbo9781139136709. ISBN 978-1-107-02242-3.
- ^ Dowding, Keith (1 July 2013). "The Prime Ministerialisation of the British Prime Minister". Parliamentary Affairs. 66 (3): 617–635. doi:10.1093/pa/gss007.
